I met a group of people from the scholars of hadith who memorised and knew narrations but they used to permit backbiting under the guise of Jarh and Ta’dil (critique of narrators), and they used to charge money for the narration of hadith. They would also hasten to answer questions even if that made them fall into error, because they feared losing status (in the eyes of people).
I met ‘Abd al-Wahhab al-Anmati and he was upon the manner of the predecessors. No backbiting was heard in his gathering and he never sought a wage for listening (and narrating) hadith. If I read a heart-softening narration to him, he would cry profusely. It used to affect my heart and built it up, and I was very young at the time. He was just like those scholars whose descriptions we’ve heard about from (classical) texts.
I met Shaykh Abu Mansur al-Jawaliqi; he was known for his increased periods of silence, his extreme caution over what he said, and his precision and authenticity (in knowledge). Perhaps he would be asked a question and the answer was clear to even children, but he would hold back until he was certain (of its correctness). He used to fast a lot and observed silence a lot.
So I benefited from these two men more than I benefited from others. I came to understand that guiding people by one’s actions is greater and more inspiring than guiding them by just words. I saw scholars whose moments of seclusion was mere joking and play so they turned hearts towards this and the knowledge they had gathered was thus ruined. The people did not benefit from them in their life except a little, and after their death, they were forgotten and hardly anyone looked to their works and writings.
So fear Allah when it comes to acting upon knowledge for it is the greatest of foundations. The impoverished one is truly the only who wastes his life in seeking knowledge that he does not act upon and so he misses out on both the delight of this world and the goodness of the Hereafter, so he goes forth (into the Hereafter) as a bankrupt one burdened with evidences against him.
لقيت مشايخ ؛ أحوالهم مختلفةٌ، يتفاوتون في مقاديرهم في العلم.
وكان أنفعهم لي في صحبةٍ : العاملُ منهم بعلمه، وإن كان غيره أعلم منه.
ولقيت جماعةً من أهل الحديث يحفظون ويعرفون؛
ولكنهم كانوا يتسامحون في غيبةٍ يخرجونها
مخرج جرحٍ وتعديلٍ ،
ويأخذون على قراءة الحديث أجراً، ويُسرعون بالجواب لئلاَّ ينكسر الجاه، وإن وقع خطأ!
ولقيت عبدالوهَّاب الأنماطي؛ فكان على قانون السلف ؛ لم يُسْمَع في مجلِسهِ غيبةٌ ، ولا كان يطلبُ أجراً على إسماع الحديث ، وكنتُ إذا قرأتُ عليه أحاديث الرقائق بكى ، واتَّصل بكاؤه!
فكان – وأنا صغير السنِّ حينئذٍ- يعملُ بكاؤه في قلبي، ويبني قواعد.
وكان على سمت المشايخ الذين سمعنا أوصافهم في النقل.
ولقيت أبا منصور الجواليقي ؛ فكان كثير الصمت ، شديد التحرِّي فيما يقول ، متقناً محقِّقاً، ورُبَّما سُئل المسألة الظاهرة ، التي يبادر بجوابها بعض غلمانه ، فيتوقَّف فيها حتى يتيقَّن ، وكان كثير الصوم والصمت.
فانتفعت بهذين الرجلين أكثر من انتفاعي بغيرهما.
ففهمتُ من هذه الحالة : أنَّ الدليل بالفعل أرشد من الدليل بالقول…
فالله.. الله في العمل بالعلم ؛ فإنه الأصل الأكبر ، والمسكين كل المسكين من ضاع عمره في علمٍ لم يعمل به ؛ ففاتته لذَّات الدنيا، وخيرات الآخرة؛ فقَدِم مفلساً مع قوَّة الحجَّة عليه .
(صيد الخاطر 138)